Nine Lives
by Cara Lea
Summary: The Lost Chapter of "The Tale of Ginger". After the battle, ShadowClan thought they had lost everything. Moonblaze the medicine cat intereprets a sign though, and thinks she knows who ShadowClan's new leader should be. This it the nine lives ceremony of The One with Moonshone Eyes. one-shot


Moonblaze stared up at the dark Mouthermouth in wonder. She was determined that tonight would be the night she would find out the answers she had been chasing since she was a kit. Ever since she had helped Swanfeather after the battle where they had helped ThunderClan, she had known that her pawsteps would lead her to being a Medicine Cat. But she had never expected it to be so hard. She'd had so much to learn! First, she'd had to learn all of the herbs and what they were used for. It had been difficult at first, though she had slowly caught on. In the meantime, Swanfeather had been determined to teach her warrior fighting moves too.

"But I'm training to be a Medicine Cat," Moonpaw had argued. "I don't need to learn how to fight."

"You're a mouse-brain if you believe that," her mentor had answered snappishly. "Every cat has to learn out to fight. It's how you survive in the wild. You don't want to be a kittypet do you?"

That had certainly convinced Moonblaze. It had been very difficult training beside the other apprentices. But it got even harder on her when she'd started her visit to the Moonstone. With StarClan eagerly connecting with her, she had to keep up with her training on top of keeping the swirling confusion StarClan seemed to send her to herself.

There had once been a time when she'd thought she'd never be able to keep up.

Now she was a full-grown Medicine Cat, with her full name. She had passed trials and tribulations to prove herself a true healer to her warrior ancestors. Proudly standing beside her Clan as a medicine cat, she had made a name for herself through moons of hard work and dedication.

That is, until the prophecy had come and almost ruined it.

_The one with moonshone eyes will save the Clan…_

StarClan's whispering voice, even now, was reaching out to her and touching her earfur. She hissed inwardly, wanting nothing to do with the awful prophecy that had almost ruined her life. If Swanfeather had thought, even for an instant, that Moonblaze would have been willing to give up her life as a medicine cat on the chance that StarClan could have meant her, she had been dead wrong.

Turning to the warrior beside her, she said in a low voice, "When we get to the Moonstone, lie beside it and press your nose against the stone. StarClan will send you dreams. I will be with you every step of the way. You won't always see me, but I'll be there."

Spottedwhisker was nodding, his bright blue eyes troubled.

"One more thing," she added briefly. "From this moment onward, we cannot talk."

He flicked his ears to show his understanding, then stepped back to indicate that she should lead. Moonblaze looked at him, wondering if her interpretation of the sign had been right. Spottedwhisker didn't look like a leader now; he looked like an apprentice on his first journey to the Highstones. His muscles rippled in the moonlight, his eyes once more lighting up as the moon began to make an appearance. Moonblaze let out a breath she realized she had been holding. There could be no mistake. Scared as he may be, there was no better cat than Spottedwhisker to take control now.

She stepped forward, leading the way into the blackness.

…

They sat side by side, waiting in silence for the Moonstone to light up. Above them in the cavern, the moon was floating high in the sky. Any second now, and the dark stone mass in front of them would be a blazing glory.

StarClan did not let her down. When the moonlight struck the rock, it blinked into a dazzling existence. For a moment, she could only stare at it as uneasiness crawled through her pelt. What would she say to StarClan? What would she do if she didn't see her lost Clanmates there? Fear made her pelt itch while she shivered ever so slightly. How _would_ she react to losing her Clanmates for good?

Spottedwhisker glanced at her once, then bravely stepped up to touch his nose to the stone. She followed his lead, knowing that there was no better time to find out than now.

Immediately cold seemed to seep through her pelt, rushing into her very heart. She stifled a gasp and closed her eyes, waiting for the familiar sensation to subside. Fur brushed her nose. She opened her eyes to see a familiar tail brushing her face. "Fallenwind!" she exclaimed in relief. Fallenwind was her distant kin. She had often come to visit Moonblaze in dreams.

"Welcome, Moonblaze," the golden tabby purred warmly.

The broad-headed medicine cat twisted her head around, looking around herself. "Where are the others? Did I interpret that sign wrong? Is Spottedwhisker not meant to lead the Clan?"

Fallenwind drew her tail over Moonblaze's mouth to silence here. "Hush, young one. Come with me." She rose to her feet and trotted merrily through the fog, the white medicine cat hard on her paws. Where was Fallenwind taking her? Was she about to know the fate of her many lost Clanmates?

The StarClan warrior came to an abrupt halt, Moonblaze almost walking into her. "See?" she mewed. Moonblaze stepped to the side so that she could peer around her and gasped. In the center of a clearing, asleep on a small rock was Spottedwhisker, curled with his tail over his nose. He must have been in deep rest, by the slow rise and fall of his chest. Circled around him were StarClan. None of them moved; they all sat calmly watching the young warrior sleep.

Fallenwind sat down beside Moonblaze as she eyed the cats circled around her sleeping kin. She couldn't make out who it was that sat closest to her, as they had their backs turned and their scents were carried away from where she sat. On the other side of the clearing, however, she could make out several warriors, and her heart soared as she recognized some of them. There was Briarstar, looking young and healthy in comparison to when Moonblaze had last seen her. Beside her sat Gorsefur, looking much more at peace than he had when she had seen his body. Her heart thudded in her chest as she glanced around. She could not see Petalsong or Cedartail anywhere. Did that mean they had not joined their warrior ancestors in StarClan? She thought her head would burst as she realized she did not see Tinyclaw here either. Had he been sent to wherever Petalsong and Cedartail were?

There was a deep sigh, as though every cat in the clearing were breathing in time. Spottedwhisker's bright eyes flicked open immediately.

He sat up on the rock and gazed at all the cats before him in stark disbelief. "Spottedwhisker," said one voice. Or maybe it was many voices speaking at once. Moonblaze couldn't tell. "You have been selected by StarClan as leader of ShadowClan. Are you ready to receive your nine lives?"

The gray warrior hesitated, uncertainty dancing in his blue stare. "So the Moonblaze was right? The prophecy _is_ about me?" No cat answered his question, though they were all gazing at him with knowing eyes. He gulped. "But what if you're wrong?"

"We are not wrong," said that voice, same as before. "There is no cat more fit to lead ShadowClan now."

He glanced around, his eyes chancing upon the very place where Moonblaze sat. She knew he could not see her, but she still stiffened when his eyes seemed to lock with hers. It only lasted a heartbeat, his glowing eyes sweeping away from her almost immediately. "Are you certain there aren't any other cats who can lead?"

"There is no other cat," the clear voice answered. "You were the one who was selected. You were born for this."

Spottedwhisker bowed his head, clenching that burning gaze shut. After a moment, he spoke, but he did not open his eyes. "I'm ready."

As soon as he'd finished, a cat almost directly in front of him rose to her paws and stepped forward, breaking rank from the others until she was standing with her nose touching his. Spottedwhisker looked up into her face and opened his mouth as if to speak. No words came out.

"With this life, I give you integrity," said the orange tabby she-cat. Moonblaze recognized the elder Galefur. She had seen her hunting in StarClan before, and knew enough about her to recognize her. "You must use it to strengthen your own and your Clan's bond with the warrior code. Only then can ShadowClan truly be loyal, and strong."

Spottedwhisker stiffened as the life flowed into him. Although Moonblaze couldn't feel it, she knew he was going through great pain. In what felt like an eternity, but might really have only been a few moments, he seemed to relax some and she stepped back into her place in the circle.

The next cat to step forward was Cloverspirit. Moonblaze's heart ached for her. When she had died fighting for her Clan, she had been close to retiring. Now, her every step was almost a bounce, her muscles rippling like they must have in her youth.

She touched her nose to Spottedwhisker's and spoke in a ringing voice, "With this life, I give you love. Use it for each cat in your Clan, from every kit to every elder. Hold them dear as a mother would for her kits."

Spottedwhisker locked his gaze with hers, and his eyes seemed to glow extra as he received this life. Then it was over, and she was stepping back to.

Following her with confident strides was a warrior that Moonblaze knew, but had never met. He was a gray tortoiseshell tom with eyes as blue as Spottedwhisker's. He walked with a confidence that seemed beyond the world of the living. His every step rang with authority. This must have been Skydapple, the deputy before Gorsefur.

Moonblaze expected his voice to be loud and booming, but when he spoke, it was a gentle murmur that she was hard pressed to hear. "With this life, I give you calm. Use it to calm your Clan after times of turmoil, and to calm yourself when faced with a difficult choice."

The old ShadowClan deputy had barely sat down when the cat next to him rose to his feet. They were now in the section of the ring of cats facing away from Moonblaze, so she couldn't see who it was until he was facing Spottedwhisker. It was a cat she had seen dozens of times, but did not know.

"That is Sloefur," Fallenwind whispered in her ear. "He died before you were born."

Moonblaze nodded, not taking her eyes off of the ceremony she had the privilege of witnessing. "With this life, I give you sincerity," the old tom whispered. Moonblaze had to strain her ears to get the words. "Use it to purify your Clan, and to defend every decision with honor."

Spottedwhisker was handling the pain well, though Moonblaze could see that it was hurting him. He stiffened and accepted his fourth life without even a squeak. But he was too stiff, to clenched up against the pain. Her medicine cat instincts screamed to go and help him, though she could not think of a single remedy to ease his pain.

As Sloefur sat down, a new cat rose to his feet and trotted forward to greet the new ShadowClan leader. Moonblaze froze, feeling as though every part of her ached with joy when she recognized the sleek orange pelt and small form. It was Tinyclaw.

"You?" Spottedwhisker asked quietly. "You…you betrayed ShadowClan!" He seemed to swell as he stared face to face with one of the traitors who had killed so many in his Clan.

Hearing Tinyclaw's voice brought a trill of disappointment through Moonblaze. It was not the same as it had always been. Now, it was deeper, and seemed to carry wisdom. She almost felt as though he knew more than he let on, and it brought back the feeling of loss she'd been repressing since she'd seen his body back in the ShadowClan camp. She'd really lost him. He was gone.

But he was here in StarClan, giving a life to her own kin to become the next Clan leader. "StarClan knows what I have done in my lifetime," Tinyclaw said in a clear voice. "Do not judge too harshly when looking upon those you consider your enemies."

Spottedwhisker dipped his head as Tinyclaw reached forward, so that he accepted his life like an apprentice receiving his warrior name. "With this life, I give you determination. Use it to fuel your strength, and carry you through the harshest of leafbares."

For the first time in the ceremony, Spottedwhisker let on to the pain he was feeling. There was no effort even to stifle the gasp that escaped him as the pain flowed through. He leaned down and licked Tinyclaw's shoulder as the tom began to pad away.

Moonblaze tried to catch her brother's eye. He didn't look at her until he was almost back to his place in line. Just before he sat down, his head lifted and his eyes locked with hers. He gave maybe the tiniest of nods before he sat, and Moonblaze felt moons of life with him stolen away yet again. Why _Tinyclaw_? And what had he really fought for?

She didn't have time to ask any of these questions, as the ceremony was moving quickly forward. As Fallenwind stroked her flank reassuringly, she tried to see past the haze of pain to watch the next part of the ceremony.

This was a cat she knew. In fact, this was a cat she had been treating just the day before. Briarstar had been sick for a long time. It had been shocking just how sick the old ShadowClan leader had become. She had always stood as a symbol of strength, leading her Clan with dignity for many seasons. In the last moons of her life, she had become small and insignificant in comparison to her former self. Now, she stood once more that glory that had reined ShadowClan for so long. The wisdom emanating from her was tenfold now that she had joined the ranks of their starry ancestors. It was comforting to see her stand with her head held high once more.

She touched her nose to Spottedwhisker's and said, as easy as if she were appointing a new warrior, "With this life, I give you guidance. Use it to guide your Clan through every season, and to show them the way out of the darkness Cedartail has brought upon our Clan."

Spottedwhisker trembled receiving this life. It must have been hard. _Only three more to go…_ though Moonblaze.

As Briarstar took her place again, a new figure stepped forward. Gorsefur was a symbol of sadness. He would have been an excellent leader for ShadowClan. Fortunately, he showed neither jealousy nor bitterness when giving a new life to Spottedwhisker.

"With this life, I give you bravery. Use it to stay strong, even when the only light you see is the weakest light."

Spottedwhisker dipped his head again as Gorsefur stepped back. The next cat to step up was a ginger she-cat. She had green eyes that glowed with pride as she looked down onto Spottedwhisker.

"Brightblaze!" he exclaimed in surprise. There was a certain fondness there as he spoke. So _this_ was Brightblaze, the warrior who had mentored her mother. She was certainly strong, her muscles rippling beneath her strong pelt.

"With this life, I give you listening. Use it well to keep your Clan healthy from threats on the inside."

Spottedwhisker took in this life as though he'd never get enough, despite the pain that surely came with it. When her part of the ceremony was done, Brightblaze paused to dip her head to him, purring with warmth, "I am proud to see how far you have come, young Spottedwhisker."

The last cat to step forward was someone Moonblaze felt she knew. She'd heard enough stories, and even met with him once in StarClan to feel almost close to him. But there was also a distance that Moonblaze knew could never be crossed, some connection with this cat that she would never had.

Spottedwhisker had it.

He rose to his feet with a cry of warmth and sorrow that took Moonblaze's breath away. She watched as the young tom stepped forward to touch noses with his son, not the giving of a new life, but one of greeting. His purr was audible even from this distance.

"My son, you have grown so much, and I could not be more proud of you."

"But Marshwhisker," Spottedwhisker whimpered, "there's so much I don't know, and I don't think I'm ready. I don't know how to lead Clan."

Marshwhisker laid his tail comfortingly on his son's flank. "Peace, dear one. You have done so much for your Clan. I know it doesn't seem fair, but now, StarClan is calling upon you to follow your destiny. You don't need to fear, you will be a great leader. I have every confidence in you."

Spottedwhisker just whimpered again as Marshwhisker reached down to give him his life. "With this life, I give you the strength to do what you must. Sometimes, StarClan calls upon you when you're unsure, when you're not ready. We hardly ever call upon you in times of convenience. But you must do what has to be done, at all costs."

Spottedwhisker leaned into this life, seeming to swell at his father's words. He sat up taller, the shadow of doubt leaving his eyes light and clear. Lifting his head as Marshwhisker stepped back he let his stare float around the ranks of StarClan with a confidence that was unlike him.

"I hail you by your new name, Spottedstar," Marshwhisker said in a deep baritone. "Take back ShadowClan, and lead it forward to the dawn of a new era, one of strength and peace."

And, just like the naming of a new warrior, the cats of StarClan began to chant, "Spottedstar! Spottedstar! Spottedstar!"

The newly named Spottedstar rose to his feet and bowed his head. "I will do my best," he vowed.

Moonblaze awoke with a shock, sitting up from her place at the Moonstone. Beside her, Spottedstar was just waking. The Moonstone had just gone out.

Signaling with her tail to be quiet, Moonblaze was surprised by the light his eyes seemed to give off. After the ceremony at the Moonstone, it seemed a little different. She lead the way above ground, not stopping the entire time. She felt his breath on her heals as she took the lead.

When they got to the top, he turned to her. "Did you see?"

She bowed her head. "I did. Welcome, Spottedstar."

For a moment, fear flickered in his gaze. But then it cleared, and the new look of confidence replaced it. "Thank you, Moonblaze. Let's get back to ShadowClan. To my Clan. We have some things we need to work out there."


End file.
